Short answer: The Xalatan label dose is one drop in the affected eye or eyes once a day in the evening. It is not used more than once a day, because more frequent use may lower the pressure-lowering effect. Other eye drops are given at least 5 minutes apart. If a dose is missed, the label says to continue with the next dose as normal.
This is what the FDA label says. Follow your prescriber. Your prescriber may use a different dose or pace than the label's standard schedule.
What Xalatan is approved for: Xalatan is a prostaglandin F2-alpha analogue eye drop approved to lower raised pressure inside the eye (intraocular pressure, IOP) in people with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension (section 1).
Source
XALATAN (latanoprost ophthalmic solution) 0.005%, prescribing information. Viatris Specialty. DailyMed, version published October 25, 2024. DailyMed setid a98595b3-9f47-48e0-b18d-550a2095f264
Xalatan is an eye drop containing latanoprost 50 mcg/mL (0.005%), supplied as 2.5 mL in a 5 mL bottle. One drop contains about 1.5 mcg of latanoprost (sections 3, 11 and 16).
One drop goes in the affected eye or eyes once daily in the evening. Contact lenses are removed first and may be put back 15 minutes later (section 2).
The dropper tip is kept from touching the eye or the skin around it, to avoid contaminating the solution (section 17).
The table below is the label's schedule, from the Dosage and Administration section. Numbers are copied exactly; the section is in brackets.
| Item | What the label says |
|---|---|
| Dose | One drop in the affected eye(s) once daily in the evening |
| Maximum | Not more than once daily |
| Other prostaglandin eye drops | Combined use of two or more prostaglandins or prostaglandin analogs is not recommended |
| Other eye drops | May be used together; given at least five (5) minutes apart |
| Contact lenses | Removed before the dose; may be reinserted 15 minutes after |
| Onset | Pressure starts to fall about 3 to 4 hours after the dose; maximum effect after 8 to 12 hours |
Using prostaglandin eye drops more than once daily may decrease the pressure-lowering effect or cause a paradoxical rise in eye pressure.
Eye drops containing thimerosal form a precipitate when mixed with Xalatan in lab studies.
Pressure lowering lasts at least 24 hours after a dose.
In 6-month trials, people starting at a mean pressure of 24 to 25 mmHg had reductions of 6 to 8 mmHg, equal to timolol 0.5% twice daily.
Unopened bottles are refrigerated at 2 to 8 C (36 to 46 F) and protected from light. Once opened, a bottle may be kept at room temperature up to 25 C (77 F) for 6 weeks. During shipping it may be kept up to 40 C (104 F) for no more than 8 days.
If one dose is missed, treatment should continue with the next dose as normal.
More on this: missed a dose of Xalatan.
In Dose Track you set up Xalatan as a protocol with the dose and schedule your prescriber gave you. A protocol can hold dose steps, each with its own dose and length in days or weeks, so a step-up plan like the one on the label can be entered once and the app moves to the next step on its own. Reminders follow the schedule, and every dose is logged with the date and time, so you can see which step you are on and when your last dose was. The app follows what you enter; it does not choose or change a dose.
This page is what the FDA label says, in plain words. It is not medical advice. Follow your prescriber, and ask them or your pharmacist about anything here.